Feasibility study of a PocketQube platform to host an ionospheric impedance probe

Abstract

Since the advent of CubeSat spacecraft, universities and private entities have been successfully designing and launching satellites at a fraction of the traditional cost. These satellites still accommodate useful scientific payloads. Another recently established satellite format is the PocketQube (PQ) - one eighth the size of a CubeSat – with the aim of further reducing launching costs. However, this brings with it the challenge of working with substantially smaller power, mass and volume budgets. Accurate ionospheric modelling requires the use of electron density measurements at the topside of the ionosphere which could be obtained via distributed in-situ sensing. This makes a low cost PQ constellation ideal for this application. In order to assess the feasibility of the PQ format, a preliminary study was conducted about the design of a PQ technology demonstrator capable of carrying a scientific payload. In this paper, the design approaches are discussed, keeping in mind the design budget restrictions as well as the constraints imposed by the ionospheric sensor.